CARY, N.C. — USA Baseball and Premier12™ team manager Mike Scioscia have finalized the coaching staff for the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12™ tournament, the organization announced on Thursday. Scioscia will be accompanied by Ron Roenicke (Bench Coach), Dave Wallace (Pitching Coach), Rick Eckstein (Hitting Coach), Dino Ebel (Third Base Coach), Jemile Weeks (First Base Coach), LaTroy Hawkins (Bullpen Coach), and Carlos Muñoz (Bullpen Catcher).
Six of Scioscia’s seven additions have previous ties to USA Baseball, five of whom have previously coached for the organization. Eckstein recently won a gold medal as manager for the 2024 18U National Team, Hawkins was the pitching coach for the 18U squad in 2023, and Wallace led the pitchers at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Ebel and Muñoz return to the U.S. dugout after serving on the World Baseball Classic staff in 2023, helping the stars and stripes secure a silver medal. Meanwhile, two-time World Series champion Roenicke makes his USA Baseball debut and Weeks joins the staff after playing on the gold-medal-winning 2006 Collegiate National Team.
“I am extremely honored and privileged to be part of an incredible group of baseball coaches in our quest for gold in the Premier12 tournament,” said Scioscia. “The expertise on this staff is very evident, but when combined with the deep passion for this game that each coach has, it will create an environment that will help the players reach their full potential. All of us are ready to go for a gold medal in November.”
“We are excited to introduce a talented and experienced group of coaches to lead Team USA at the 2024 Premier12,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball’s CEO/Executive Director. “Each and every coach has a long history of playing and coaching baseball at the highest of levels, and we are confident they can lead our team to success at this year’s Premier12 tournament. With many USA Baseball coaching veterans on staff, they represent a dedication to hard work, baseball savvy, and success on an international level that can accurately and proudly represent the United States on the worldwide stage.”
In total, the staff combines for 84 seasons of big-league coaching experience. Roenicke joins Scioscia as a former MLB manager (Milwaukee Brewers, 2011-2015 & Boston Red Sox, 2020) on the staff while Ebel, Eckstein, and Wallace all feature extensive major-league coaching experience. The staff also combines for 50 seasons of MLB playing time, including 21 years for Hawkins. Weeks and Muñoz also bring MLB experience to the staff; Weeks spent six seasons as an infielder in the major leagues and Muñoz was the bullpen catcher for the Houston Astros for eight seasons.
2024 Premier12 Team USA Coaching Staff:
Manager: Mike Scioscia
Bench Coach: Ron Roenicke
Pitching Coach: Dave Wallace
Hitting Coach: Rick Eckstein
Third Base Coach: Dino Ebel
First Base Coach: Jemile Weeks
Bullpen Coach: LaTroy Hawkins
Bullpen Catcher: Carlos Muñoz
Ron Roenicke will make his USA Baseball debut as bench coach for the Premier12 squad after a storied MLB career as a player, coach, and manager. A first-round draft pick in 1977 to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Roenicke will bring nearly 50 years of professional experience with him to Team USA’s staff. After playing parts of eight seasons for six different Clubs from 1981-1988, Roenicke began his coaching career on the Dodgers’ big-league staff in 1992 before becoming a minor-league manager in the Los Angeles organization in 1994. Roenicke was named the third base coach for the Angels in 2000 and helped lead the team to a World Series in 2002 before a promotion to bench coach in 2006. His first managerial gig came with the Milwaukee Brewers, for whom he managed from 2011-2015. He led the Club to its winningest regular season in franchise history (96) in his first season at the helm before spending three more campaigns in Milwaukee. He then spent time as a third base coach for the Dodgers (2015) and Angels (2016-2017) before being named bench coach for the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2018 season, winning a World Series in that campaign. He spent one season as the manager in Boston in 2020 and now works as a special assistant to the general manager for the Dodgers.
Dave Wallace will join the Premier12 staff as the team’s pitching coach for the 2024 competition after making his USA Baseball debut with the organization in 2021. Wallace helped Team USA to a silver medal at the Tokyo Games as the pitching coach in 2021, guiding the staff to a 2.19 team ERA and 54 strikeouts in 53.1 innings pitched. In his playing days, Wallace signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1970 following his collegiate career at the University of New Haven and racked up 60 saves as a reliever in the minor leagues in both the Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays’ farm systems in addition to making 13 appearances in the majors. Once retired from his playing career, Wallace began his coaching career in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system in 1981. He then served as the organization’s minor league pitching coordinator from 1987-1994 before being named the pitching coach of the big-league club in 1995. Wallace then became the pitching coach for the New York Mets in 1999 and 2000, helping the Club win the National League pennant in his second year in Queens. After a stint as the Dodgers’ vice president of baseball operations, Wallace was named pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox in 2003 and helped guide the staff to a World Series title in 2004. Wallace briefly served as pitching coach for the Houston Astros in 2007 before working in the Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves organizations. He then spent three seasons in Baltimore as the Orioles’ pitching coach, a role he held until 2016.
Dave Wallace with Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Six-time Team USA coach and 2024 18U National Team Manager Rick Eckstein will be the hitting coach for the 2024 Premier12 team. Eckstein most recently led the 18U National Team to a gold medal at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in early August, guiding the stars and stripes to a perfect 8-0 record. He has also served on the coaching staff for the Professional National Team on five separate occasions from 2005-2008 and helped guide the red, white, and blue to three medals under longtime big-league manager Davey Johnson. Following the 2008 season in which he helped lead the U.S. to a bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Eckstein earned USA Baseball’s “Doc” Counsilman Science Award for his coaching efforts through scientific data and technology. Eckstein started his coaching career at the University of Florida in 1997 before he joined the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as a bullpen coach and batting practice pitcher in 1999. He took the same role with the Minnesota Twins a year later and got his first hitting coach position shortly after, joining the University of Georgia’s coaching staff during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. In the subsequent years, he bounced around multiple minor league teams in that role before he got his first major league coaching role at the end of 2008 with the Washington Nationals, where he served as the hitting coach until the end of the 2013 season. Eckstein joined the Los Angeles Angels as a player information coach in 2014 and then returned to the college ranks as an assistant coach for the University of Kentucky, a position he held for two years. After that, he was brought on by the Minnesota Twins as a minor league hitting coordinator and worked in that role from 2016-2018. His most recent coaching position was as the hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates until the end of the 2021 season.
Current Los Angeles Dodgers Third Base Coach Dino Ebel will return to Team USA in the same position after serving on staff at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Ebel returned to the Dodgers organization as third base coach in 2019 and has helped lead them to four NL West titles and the 2020 World Series title. In his playing days, Ebel signed with the Dodgers as a free agent in 1988 after winning the Division II baseball championship with Florida Southern College; he then spent eight years in their farm system, where he began his coaching career as a "player-coach" for Bakersfield from 1991 to 1994 and then with San Bernadino in 1995. Ebel spent eight years as a manager in the Rookie-level, Single-A, and Double-A ranks for the Dodgers before joining the Los Angeles Angels organization in 2005 as the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees manager. The Angels elevated him to the big leagues as the third base coach in 2006, a position he would hold until being named bench coach in 2014. He returned to Angels third base coach duties again in 2018 before re-joining the Dodgers in 2019. Ebel spent 14 seasons working with U.S. skipper Mike Scioscia, who led Team USA to a silver medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Dino Ebel at the 2023 World Baseball Classic
USA Baseball alum Jemile Weeks joins the 2024 Premier12 team staff as first base coach after previously playing for Team USA. Weeks competed with the gold-medal-winning 2006 Collegiate National Team in Havana, Cuba, helping his country win gold at the international level with his bat. The alum recorded 37 hits, four home runs, and 21 RBIs in the summer of 2006 and helped the U.S. win a gold medal at the International University Sports Federation (FISU) World Championships. Weeks played at the University of Miami (FL) and was named an All-American after a stellar freshman season. Selected by the Oakland Athletics with the 12th overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, Weeks went on to play with several major league clubs including the Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Padres. Weeks has remained involved in baseball since retiring from his playing career and has coached at several MLB/USA Baseball diversity-focused amateur development events, including serving as a manager at the 2024 Hank Aaron Invitational. He is currently the baserunning coordinator for the New York Mets.
After serving as the 18U National Team’s pitching coach in 2023, LaTroy Hawkins is bringing back his pitching expertise to USA Baseball as the Premier12 team’s bullpen coach. Drafted in the seventh round of the 1991 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins, Hawkins made his big-league debut with the Club in 1995 to kick off his 21-year career that included stretches with 11 different teams. After nine years in Minnesota, Hawkins would play for 10 different Clubs over the next 12 seasons. Hawkins is one of 13 relievers in baseball history to record at least one save against all 30 teams and currently ranks 10th on baseball’s all-time games played list for a reliever with 1,042. In addition to his MLB career, Hawkins also played for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He appeared in four games for the stars and stripes in the tournament, going 1-0 out of the bullpen. Since retirement, Hawkins has remained involved with baseball, specifically with diversity-focused amateur development events. He has been a long-time coach at several events hosted by MLB and USA Baseball, including the Breakthrough Series, DREAM Series, and the Hank Aaron Invitational. Hawkins also served as a pitching coach at the 2022 Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League and hosts the USA Baseball Introduction to Pitch Smart course. Hawkins was inducted into the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in January 2018 and currently works as a special assistant in the baseball operations department for the Twins. Additionally, Hawkins occasionally serves as an analyst for Twins television broadcasts on Bally Sports North.
LaTroy Hawkins with the 18U National Team in 2023
Carlos Muñoz makes his return to the Team USA coaching staff as the Premier12 staff’s bullpen catcher after serving in the same role at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Muñoz helped the U.S. win a silver medal in the 2023 competition and was also a bullpen coach for this year’s Collegiate National Team. Additionally, Muñoz spent nearly 12 years as a bullpen catcher and associate scout for the Houston Astros between 2009 and 2017 before bringing his bullpen expertise to multiple USA Baseball teams. He has been on coaching staffs at multiple MLB/USA Baseball diversity-focused amateur development events, including the Hank Aaron Invitational and the Breakthrough Series.
In addition to the eight-man coaching staff, Team USA will be joined by a group of six additional staff members. Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels AAA) Athletic Trainer Jonathan Fierro will serve in the same capacity for the U.S. squad while Byron Campbell (Baltimore Orioles) joins the group as strength & conditioning coach. Dr. Josh Bloom and Dr. Daryl Osbahr assume team doctor duties, and Pat O’Shea (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Kevin Roach (Pittsburgh Pirates) will serve in scouting roles for the stars and stripes.
The 2024 Premier12 will feature the world’s 12 top-ranked teams in an international competition in Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan. After placing second in the first rendition of the competition in 2015 and fourth in the 2019 tournament, Team USA looks for its first gold medal in Premier12 history. The team will begin its 2024 Premier12 campaign in Guadalajara and Tepic, Mexico, from November 9-14 and will look to advance to Tokyo, Japan, for the final round of the competition.
For more information on USA Baseball and the 2024 Professional National Team, follow @USABaseball on social media or visit USABaseball.com.
